We just took our team to Gonzaga University’s team camp for a week of improving. These trips are great for teams because of the closeness you have for a week. They are exhausting and hard on everyone, but in the end, they are productive in helping each person find out more about themselves, their teammates, and the identity of the team. What I enjoy about the Gonzaga camp is that in addition to players being able to work on their game, there are clinic sessions throughout the week that allow coaches to grow as well. Ironically, I usually see coaches take this time off and stand in the background talking to each other. While the topics may seem elementary (blocking out, help defense, etc…), I’ve always felt that anytime you can hear someone talk about how they do/teach things it’s worth listening to. Even if anticipate the session being worthless, hearing new terminology and seeing new teaching methods can get your mind to think about how you can improve what you do. Even if it’s just taking new terminology into your philosophy of teaching, it can be beneficial.
The greatest part about the week away is getting to know my players better, on and off the court. Whenever seniors graduate from our program, their best memories are from these camps. This shows that accomplishments and achievements are no comparison for the community that we build around us. All of our work, all of our efforts will be more meaningful in the end if we are working with people who share the same values as us.
